Cheap Eats in Lean Times

Can times really be that hard if Canlis is still doing brisk business on weeknights, if Quinn’s on Capitol Hill is packed to the gills, if diners still must wait to squeeze into Queen Anne’s How To Cook A Wolf?

Apparently, looks can be deceiving. The state’s restaurant association president, Anthony Anton, says eateries at all levels have reported either a slowdown or no growth since July. Diners still seem to be making room in their budgets for special occasions, he says, but not as much for everything else.

We looked deeper at this trend today in Food. Across the country, restaurants are offering a discount here and a deal there to keep us coming in, even as housing values dip and investments wither.

I know more of my friends are brown bagging it and searching sites like sevennites.com for good happy hour deals (fellow Times reporter Nicole Tsong also rounded up some good ones not too long ago here. One of my favorites? Taco Tuesday at Sully’s Lounge on Queen Anne. Nothing too fancy, just the biggest McCormick spice-seasoned chicken soft tacos you ever laid eyes on, along with plenty of flat screens to suffer through the latest Mariners/Seahawks/Huskies game (or to root for the Storm, who seem to be the only winning team around here lately). Another good spot for inspiration: Our Dining Deals section.

How have you adjusted your dining in this economy? Let’s help each other out and share any screamin’ deals (love that phrase!) we’ve seen in our ‘hoods.

About us

Bethany Jean Clement is The Seattle Times food writer. Her writing has also appeared in Best Food Writing, Food & Wine, Gourmet.com, Beard House, Town & Country, Edible Seattle, The Stranger and more. Follow her on Twitter: @BJeanClement.